Steering at Anchor In-Flow

[MarkJ]

Hi folks

I read somewhere that you can steer the boat when its at anchor in a tidal or river flow even in 'astern' when you are held wind against the current.

I have been trying this over the last few months but can't quite get any real effect. Dunno if I am doing it wrong, or if the initial effect is negated.

I have a fin keel, flat forward and spade rudder.

So the question is do you use the wheel, i.e. locked but off-set to one side or the other in a tidal flow and what does it do?
When do you use it and how?



Thanky


Mark

[Bash]

...without coming up with any conclusive recommendations.

A fin-keel sailboat such as mine tends to pivot when it turns, and the drag of the chain on the bow tends to restrict this pivoting movement. At best, I've decided that the boat tends to charge the anchor a bit less with the helm over, at the cost of added drag on the hook. But this change is something I've only noticed in windy conditions where the current is at least three knots.

Best practice, in those conditions, is just to increase the scope and then begin drinking heavily. At that point it doesn't matter what the rudder is doing.

[drinky]

Have had some success with it. I think it works best when tide and wind are going the same way. If they are from different directions the boat goes where it wants and points where it wants no matter what I do.

[GordMay]

See also:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...lines-653.html

[MarkJ]

Thanks Bash and Drinky. The best advioce was to drink heavily


Thanks Gord. You wrote that in 2003! Did boats have motors way back then? Still had canvas for sails?

The anchor spring is good stuff and I will try it. But the bit I was kind of after was to steer the boat left or right accross a current a bit. Helpful to get further out of the channel etc.

Thanks


Mark